Wow, I actually winced when Kojo popped off to Glover in the turbolift. She should know better by now, but I guess in her case courage sometimes trumps good sense.

And here the mission is barely underway and already the plan is close to unraveling with the addition of the Romulans to this already delicate equation.

God Speed to Maya and her little army. Fates know they’ll need all the help they can get.

Author's Response: Kojo is a woman used to speak her mind. And apparently she gets away with it most of the time.
And, yeah, for Maya this is truly going to be a trial by fire. Hey, it was her decision to lead this mission. Now let's hope she won't live to regret it. Well, let's hope she'll live for starters.

This is a tenuous mission, to say the least, and Maya getting personally involved in the assault is an unwarranted gamble. Adding such an unnecessary wrinkle to an already dicey operation is just begging for trouble.

Which, I suppose, was entirely Vej's point.

Damn fine character work in these last installments, CeJay! I can't wait to see what kind of sparks fly as this assault gets underway.

Author's Response: Hey, thanks for the feedback.
Yeah, Donners call to lead the assault mission is probably not something 'recommended' in the Captain's Handbook. But she's clearly the hands-on type of commanding officer. Some admiral should probably have a word with her about this, if she survives what's coming.

Just catching up on this one, and man oh man, Maya can’t catch a break, can she?

Having to balance the competing interests of the Prime and Omega Directives is hellish enough for a rookie captain, but now she’s facing off against the Romulans and their machinations? I don’t envy the decisions she’s going to have to make sooner rather than later.

She’s getting good counsel from her senior officers, though it’s a good bet that Daystrom’s over-active ‘conscience’ is going to prompt him to do something stupid before all this is over. Whatever it is, I hope it’s not sufficient to cut short what otherwise appears to be a promising career.

Your characterizations are spot on here, with crisp dialogue and a flowing narrative that draws the reader farther into the story with each successive chapter.

Author's Response: Thanks for the feedback.
Yeah, Maya is swimming with the big boys now. It remains to be seen if she can get through this without getting eaten by the sharks. As for Daystrom ... well he bares watching.

The commodore’s gambit was as dangerous as it was successful, and one thing is for certain, Bob Wesley knows how to make a First Contact!

After all is said and done, I sincerely hope the Bear has the opportunity to toss Dr. Ketteract down a turboshaft.

Author's Response: Wesley clearly's been around the block. This isn't his first rodeo and it's good that that comes across. Hopefully it will present a good contrast to Donners' rookie effort. She has access to his logs however, so hopefully some of that swagger will rub off.
Jury still out if how long the Bear will put up with the good doctor.

Based on everything I have read about Omega, I suspect that in the late 25th. century the Federation will not only be tinkering with stable Omega particles, but will also have figured out how to fix collapsed subspace. That and possibly traded in warp drive for quantum transportation like the Iconians.

Keep writing, I reading.

Author's Response: No doubt Omega will open up a great number of research possibilities down the road, some of which are clearly already being touted by scientists in the 23rd and 24th century. But then there's that little problem with it being volatile enough to destroy half of subspace. We'll have to see if a compromise can yet be found.
Thanks for reading and commenting.

I very much appreciate the way Maya and Texx handled the quarreling Marine/Security chiefs. As much as Maya is loath to use threats to get them to tow the line, Texx is right… sometimes it’s the only thing that works.

And again Texx demonstrates his command talents as he refocuses Allenby on what’s really important here, and puts her academy-esque squabble in proper perspective.

Wonderful character work as the ship prepares to come face-to-face with the most destructive force in the known universe.

Author's Response: Yeah, you'd think Maya and Texx had better things to do than deal with quarreling officers. Let's hope the threats here are enough to get them to focus on the mission at hand.
Thanks for reading.

The undeniable seductiveness of Omega is precisely the problem for every species that’s tried to harness its promise of unlimited power. This is one of those times when a captain (especially a brand new one) needs to accept that the-powers-that-be have given this issue due consideration over the span of decades. Best to surrender to their collective wisdom rather than risk the potential devastation of opening this Pandora’s Box for no other reason than your own hubris.

For a moment there I thought Daystrom was going to go right off the rails. You ‘ve captured his dilemma and what his legacy has cost him with aching clarity. I hope for everyone’s sake that Daystrom can keep his word to Captain Donners.

Oh, yes... absolutely nothing could go wrong with this plan! Welcome to your first week in command of a starship. By the way, here's an enormous crisis the likes of which we'd hoped you'd never have to face in your entire career. Try not to screw the pooch on this while you're attempting to save the galaxy from a veritable apocalypse.

Now the mystery seems to deepen. Three years later and nearing Romulan space we have a shockwave and sensor readings that make Ketteract skip with the delirium the previous aliens had for the Portal. So is this the beginnings of Starfleet's investigation into what would become known as the Omega Particle?

And is it the fate for the Lexington crew that their actions will see the creation of the Omega Directive because of the highly dangerous nature of the Particle? If so, then one imagines that they are in for a brutally dangerous time. The fact that it requires them to head towards the Romulan border just makes that a certainty and adds a delicious complication to the proceedings here.

A great and very interesting start to this story CeJay. It is promising a lot and I'm excited to see you handle it, firstly the fact that you'll be giving us a Lexington tale and we;ve seen from your Tales that you have a terrific handle on the characters of other UT authors. So the crew is in good hands - albeit not necessarrily safe hands! ;) But I am also excited to see how this will play into 'present day UT' and the crew of the Agamemnon. I can't wait to meet the crew I have long anticipated meeting and seeing you take on a new set of characters. A super start.

Author's Response: Thanks, very glad to hear that you are excited about this. Clearly a number of factors are at work here and it all revolves around a mysterious new form of energy never before encountered. We'll have to see how Wesley and Lexington handle this and how Agamemnon factors in as well.
Many thanks for reading and your awesome review.

Wow. You gave an insight into an alien world that was insectiod and had lots of ant like caste system to its structure. In a short chapter you gave a good impression of such a society only to then have them wiped out. I'm left wondering at whether the Xenarth who left have been spared and are going to show up elsewhere or in another time. But the startling way in which they seem to have welcomed their deliverance makes it seem as though they spread their arms wide for annihilation. There's a lot to be puzzled over. I have the sense that they have been wiped out by this God Particle.

Given the Borg interest in the Particle I am going to guess it is the Omega particle and that we are seeing just how long lasting their thirst for Perfection via the Particle has been. A very interesting set up CeJay.

Author's Response: Thanks Miranda Fave. The fate of the Xenarth shall be revealed soon.
As to what this Xendaru Particle is exactly, there are a few hints here and there but that too shall be made clear in due course. There is a lot of story to tell here and I hope you enjoy what's coming as much.

This really is an epic tale in its breadth and scope, CeJay. You’re giving us the backstory on a source of phenomenal power, and you’re delving into Trek and UT history to do so.

You’re off to a fantastic start, and I especially liked Wesley’s reflections on the ‘rightness’ of his ship and crew… and how he has the presence of mind to savor the present.

I've been waiting for this story for months, and it doesn't disappoint. Nicely done!

Author's Response: Thanks Gibraltar.
Even though he has only been in command of Lexington for about a year at the beginning of this story, I wanted Wesley to come across as the veteran that he is. And clearly he has reached a point in his career here were feels extremely confident and comfortable with his place in the galaxy.
Thanks of reading and commenting.

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